Commercial and residential water heaters receive room temperature (e.g., cold) water that is then heated by the water heaters and distributed as heated (e.g., hot) water through the commercial or residential location. The water fed to the water heaters typically includes sediment. Some of the sediment may remain in the water heater tank after the water is heated and distributed. The sediment that remains may build up on the bottom of the water heater tank. Over time, this buildup of sediment may cause heat transfer within the water heater tank to slow, which in turn may cause overheating near the bottom of the tank. When the bottom of the tank is overheated, the metal bottom of the tank may weaken and the lining of the tank may be damaged. The weakening of the tank bottom and the damage to the tank lining may eventually cause the bottom of the tank to “fall out.” Of course, if such an event occurs, the water stored within the tank and the inlet water entering the tank from the feed line may escape from the tank and may likely result in the flooding of the structure housing the water heater (e.g., a house or building).
In less extreme cases, the sediment buildup may cause smaller leaks in the water heater. These leaks, although smaller, may still cause flooding to a large portion of the structure housing the water heater. In order to reduce the likelihood of sediment buildup in a water heater, many manufacturers recommend that water heaters be flushed periodically so that sediment is removed from the water heater tank. Unfortunately, most owners do not follow those recommendations; as such, water heaters are not flushed on a regular basis. Accordingly, a system is needed to automatically flush water heaters on a regular basis and to monitor water heaters for leaks.